THE HEIZER FAMILY

A few years ago I developed a high curiosity about our German ancestors in the American Colonial period. Bits and snippets of information began to fill boxes and binders until this year when it seemed prudent to put all details in a relatively cohesive format. This research is not complete but it does fuse many details not known or shared from one member of the family tree with another.

This research was possible with an extraordinary amount of input from near and distance Heizer relatives. I am indebted to Effie Clemmer of Amarillo, Texas, Thelma Mills of Burnett, Texas, Mary Taylor of Temple, Texas and Kathleen Heizer of Lexington, Virginia who generously shared information, and to Bobbie Sue Henry of Buena Vista and Virginia Lee Dawson of Salem, Virginia. I am also obliged to Daniel Davis, a relative of my great grandfather’s wife, Lydia Davis, and to J. Kyle Shewey of Roanoke, Virginia, my great grandmother’s nephew, and his sons John and Emmett Shewey. Rev. Beverly Southern and her successor Rev. Janette Beggs of the Fairfield, Virginia Presbyterian Church, and parishioner Beulah Chittum were extremely helpful. Mike Dickey of the Skippack Historical Society provided many new insights on the colonial Heizers. I must also acknowledge numerous other correspondents including William Heizer, Carol Harlow, Ann Marie Piland, Helen Riley, Carolyn Heizer Deacon, and members of the Hallman Family Association who generously shared their records. Most importantly, I gratefully acknowledge my father, my Uncle Alfred and Aunt Mary Heizer, and my Aunt Angelitta Perez Gillespie for editorial comments, and sharing their recollections and memories. Lastly and most importantly, I thank my wife, Cheryl, for her support and encouragement to bring order to countless bits and pieces of disjointed information.

INDEX

Page

1. Heizer Family Genealogy 2

2. Heizer Family in North America 4

3. Johannes 1679-1749 11

4. Valentin 1722-1753 20

5. Samuel 1749-1812 29

6. John 1775-1821 32

7. Hezekiah 1806-1879 33

8. John Joseph 1829-1884 39

9. Stephenville, Texas 45

.. A Final Word 52

HEIZER FAMILY RESEARCH

January 2006

1. HEIZER FAMILY GENEALOGY

There have been at least three publications recording the history of the Heizer family in North America. The first books that came to my attention were the “THE HEIZER FAMILY” by Black Hawk Press of Chicago and “HEIZER FAMILY” by Brown Company, and both were printed in the early 20^th Century. I have not been able to locate copies of either book and can only presume they might be found in private or heritage collections, if at all. The most recent and comprehensive research is “THE HEIZER FAMILY - AMERICAN PIONEERS”, privately published in the early 1970s by James Marion Heizer of Louisville, Kentucky. This work has proven to be a valuable resource for many family investigators.

James Marion Heizer used an effective yet simple coding system suggested by his genealogical colleague, Joseph J. Heizer of San Francisco, California. The system identified each branch and generation with a series of alternating numbers and letters. Here is how he explained it:

Members of the various branches of the family are listed in order and in sufficient detail to enable those interested in doing so to trace their ancestry back to the first Heizer immigrant. Our coding system, developed by Joseph John Heizer (2d5a3d), is so simple that all you need is a name of the Heizer to whom you are related. Successive generations are alternately identified by letters, then numbers and back to letters, etc.

The first American born Heizer generation, John, Samuel and Maria, are numbered 1, 2 and 3, respectively. John's thirteen children are lettered "a" through "m”, and Samuel's nine are lettered "a" through “i ". John and Samuel's grandchildren are numbered in order of their birth from 1 through the number of children in the family.

The Family Name

Most family researchers of the colonial period encounter regular variations of their ancestor’s name. In the early days and through the early 1800s, settlers came from different countries, cultural backgrounds and levels of education, typically little to none, and, of course, there were no dictionaries for reference. Many settlers were illiterate and simply “made a mark” to indicate their signature. Thus, it was very important to communicate verbally but not important or deemed necessary, to be literate or spell names and words consistently. It is not unusual to see the parent’s names phonetically spelled one way and their children spelling the same name differently.

Johannes was the first of our family, it is believed, to have arrived in the American Colonies from Germany about 1722. His pastor spelled his name Hayser and this spelling also appears in Johannes’s Will, written in German, and refers to his wife as Doretty Hayser (Dorothea, nee Heilman). However, civil records also identify Johannes as Hyser, Hiser, etc. The surname confusion continues in Dorothea’s Will where she refers to herself, children and deceased husband as Heiser. Unless otherwise noted, the “Heizer” surname will be used in this research.

Johannes’s eldest son, Valentin, died when he was quite young and also managed several surname variations. Valentin’s sons, John and Samuel, and their descendants use the Heiser and Heizer surnames, respectively. Johannes’s second son, Andreas, appears to have preferred Hyser and in his later years, his community referred to him as “Old Andreas Hyser”.

Most if not all family researchers have referred to Johannes’ eldest son as ‘Valentine’. It appears that his name was corrupted into an Anglicized form, with the letter ‘e’ added at the end. A literate German speaker of the period would pronounce ‘Valentine’ as ‘Valentina’, sounding the last ‘e’ in the name as an ‘a’, which is the feminine version of ‘Valentin’. In this work, ‘Valentin’ is used as the preferred spelling of the name.

While delving in the origins of our family and surname, I received undated information from Dennis, Arthur B., and Ethel L. of the American Hiser family. Although no direct link has been made to this family, much of the following correlates with information I have gathered:

Hiser Family

The east side of Lake Zurich in Switzerland is the most probable European origin of the Hiser family. The earliest records I found was in the family history book, Swiss Family Heuser published by Charles U. Heuser at the Los Angeles Public Library. It listed his earliest ancestor being born in 1398 and a serf to the Earl of Rapperswyl. Records that are more definite start about 1541 when churches were required to keep civil records.

No direct connection to this family has been found. However, from conversations with the genealogist at the Zurich Library, I am virtually certain that our Hiser originated in this part of Switzerland. In all probability, several generations of our ancestors migrated into what is now southern Germany.

The conclusion about our origins comes from studying church backgrounds of the period. Ulrich Zwingli founded the German Reform Church about 1516, and in the same period as Martin Luther began his movement. These two leaders met to discuss merging their congregations, but could not agree on the form of communion. Consequently, the Reform and Lutheran Churches became two separate streams of Protestant thought. Switzerland remained Reform and, most German Dukedoms were Lutheran. Our immigrant ancestor was definitely Reform as were his descendents for several generations.

The second line of study involves migration pattern. The economy the time was based on what could be produced on the land. Families tended to be large and land can only be divided a limited number of times. Early church reform movements such as those advocated by Zwingli were resisted by the state.

Different cantons took different specific actions to persecute or harass. By contrast, the patterns of warfare in the German duchy tended to create a shortage of males. Enticements in the form of land or employment were offered to attract immigrants to North America. I have two records that show some of the passengers on the ship BROTHER, on which (our ancestor) Johannes Adam Heuser arrived in Philadelphia in 1751. Excerpts from the diary of John George Obermayer and a copy of his passport give us details of his journey down the Rhine from Rhinehausen and departure from Rotterdam. I am confident Johan Adam Heuser also started from this area.

While looking through immigration records for the Baden-Alsace area, I often came across Heuser look-alikes, i.e., Haeusser, etc. It is my hope that this text will inspire enough interest that someone with the ability to translate German will research the Swiss and German archives sufficiently to better establish the linkage.

* * * * *

It is reasonable to presume that our Heizer family may be extended to include a large number of other branches and surname spellings. Our direct ancestor, Johannes, most certainly had siblings, uncles, aunts and cousins, and surely a number of them came to America, albeit at different times, settling in different locations, and adopting different phonetic renderings of the family name. Unfortunately, none have been identified to date.

2. THE HEIZER FAMILY IN NORTH AMERICA

The following lists direct Heizer ancestors of our family branch from 18^th Century Colonial American to the dawn of the 21^st Century in Canada. The family numbering system starts with Valentin’s issue.

The dates and locations in this chapter are believed to be reasonably accurate. The names of our direct Heizer branch ancestors are underlined.

JOHANNES Born 1695-1700? Pfiffligheim (?), Germany

Died February 6, 1749 Skippack Township, PA

M1. Married (unk) in Germany about 1720/1721. She died about 1721/1722.

M2. Married Maria Dorothea Heilman about 1725?

Born Klein Niedersheim, Germany (?) about 1700

Died December 20, 1770 Skippack Township, PA

Johannes’ Children :

Valentin*

Born 1722? Pfiffligheim (?), Germany

Died August 7, 1753 Skippack Township, PA

*The four years between Valentin’s assumed birth year in Germany (1722) and that of Johannes’ next child, Andreas, birth year (1726) in the American Colonies strongly suggests that Maria Dorothea Heilman (b.abt 1700) was Valentin’s stepmother. Further, the Heilman family emigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania about 1718, which, if correct, makes a stronger case that Valentin’s mother was Johannes first wife and Dorothea would have been his stepmother and Johannes second wife.

Andreas

Born 1726 Skippack Township, PA

Died Feb. 14, 1810 Skippack Township, PA

Confirmed June 16, 1745 (other sources show 1756)

Married July 19, 1764 to Sara (h) Zeiber (b. July 25, 1744 d. March 21, 1822). She was the daughter of Johannes and Margaret (nee DuBois) Zeiber

Anna Maria

Born 1728? Skippack Township, PA

Died ?

Married (1) ________Ketchy (Goetschius)?

Married (2) Ludwig Weisel (widower) on February 12, 1761

Christiana

Born 1730? Skippack Township, PA

Died ? ?

Married on December 29, 1747 to Christian Gmelin, son of Matthias and Maria Barbara Gmelin (Gehman?)

Maria Sallinas (Salome)

Born 1731 Skippack Township, PA

Confirmed May 7, 1747

Died after 1771 ?

Married ________ Perkymer (Berkheimer)

Elizabeth

Born 1735? Skippack Township, PA

Died ? ?

Married on May 12, 1755 to ______Vollmer

Rebecca

Born 1739 Skippack Township, PA

Died October 2, 1745

Barbara

Born 1739 Skippack Township, PA

Died after 1771 ?

Married William Graff (Opdengraf?) on May 8, 1759

NB: Only the birth years of Andreas, Maria, Rebecca, and Barbara are recorded in or calculated from church documents. The birth dates and order of the other siblings are assumed.

VALENTIN Born 1722? Pfiffligheim (?), Germany

Died August 7, 1753 Skippack Township, PA

M1- ___? ___

The name of Valentin’s first wife, the location and date of their marriage are not known (possibly 1745-46 in Skippack, Pennsylvania). It is believed she died as a result of complications when their son, John, was born on March 17, 1747.

Valentin’s Children:

1. John (Valentin’s 1^st Marriage)

Born March 17, 1747 Skippack Township, PA

Died June 26, 1837 Brown County, OH

M2 - Married Anna Howe - Old Trappe Church on May 4, 1747.

Born 1721?

Died ? Augusta County, VA?

2. Samuel (Valentin’s 2^nd Marriage)

Born October 25, 1749 Skippack Township, PA

Died June 14, 1812 Augusta County, VA

Samuel was baptized on March 23, 1750. He married Mary Elizabeth Chapman on August 11, 1774 in Augusta County, VA

3. Maria (Valentin’s 2^nd Marriage)

Born October 14, 1752 Skippack Township, PA

Baptized December 26, 1752. Sponsors were Rev. Henrich Muhlenberg and his wife, Anna Maria (Nani Haurin). Married Thomas Shearer. Maria died in 1785(?).

2. SAMUEL

Samuel's Children:

2a. John

Born May 11, 1775 Augusta County, VA

Died October 28, 1821 Augusta County, VA

Married Agnes Wright on April 22, 1800 Augusta County, VA

b. 1777 Augusta Country, VA

d. 1846 Augusta County, VA

2b. William

Born February 24, 1777 Augusta County, VA

Died 1828 ?

Married Martha Farley Hatton November 22, 1804

2c. Nathaniel

Born March 1, 1779 Augusta County, VA

Died 1828 Green City, KY

Married Martha Hatton

2d. Samuel

Born February 28, 1781 Augusta County, VA

Died January 13, 1832 Ross City, OH

Married Mary Elizabeth Ware

2e. Rebekah / Rebecca

Born March 13, 1783 Augusta County, VA

Died ? Fayette County, IN

Married Peter Smith

2g. Mary

Born January 1, 1785 Augusta County, VA

Died December 10, 1858 Marion County, IN

Married John Van Deman

2h. Joshua

Born December 23, 1787 Augusta County, VA

Died January 30, 1885 Fayette County, IN

Married Jemima Corey

2i. Elizabeth

Born February 19, 1789 Augusta County, VA

Died August 15, 1877 Kossuth, IA

Married John Ware November 19, 1812 Augusta County, VA

2j Edward

Born February 19, 1791 Augusta County, VA

Died February 19, 1863 Marion County, IN

Married Elizabeth Buchanan November 4, 1819 Fayette County, IN

2a. JOHN

John’s Children:

2a1. Joseph

Born February 6, 1801 Augusta County, VA

Died May 3, 1887 Sante Fe, MO

Married Nancy Hanna

2a2. Samuel

Born October 14, 1802 Augusta County, VA

Died September 16, 1875 Indianapolis, IN

1- Married Elizabeth Straine

2- Married Mary Roll

2a3. Hezekiah

Born July 6, 1804 Augusta County, VA

Died May 20, 1879 Rockbridge County, VA

M1-Married Eliza Cartwell Larew (11 children)

Born 1806

Died July 26, 1862 Rockbridge County, VA

M2-Married Lucy Goolsby (Goldsby) March 12, 1867

Born April 30, 1830 Rockbridge County, VA

Died July 12, 1893 Rockbridge County, VA

No children

2a4. William

Born May 9, 1806 Augusta County, VA

Died April 10, 1880 Augusta County, VA

Married Susan Brownlee

2a5. James

Born February 10, 1808 Augusta County, VA

Died June 10, 1880 Augusta County, VA

Married Sarah Brown

2a6. Robert

Born January 30, 1810 Augusta County, VA

Died 1898? Tulare, CA

Married ?

2a7. John Chapman

Born October 15, 1813 Augusta County, VA

Died July 28, 1889 Tulare, CA

Married Mary Kerr Smiley

2a8. Ruth

Born October 3, 1815 Augusta County, VA

Died 1882? Rockbridge County, VA

Married James Brownlee

2a9. Edward

Born December 10, 1819 Augusta County, VA

Died March 2, 1902 Putman County, VA

1-Married?

2-Married Rebecca Almone

2a3. HEZEKIAH

Hezekiah’s Children:

2a3 a. John Joseph

Born March 29, 1829 Augusta County, VA

Died March 7, 1884 Stephenville, TX

M1-Married Lydia Davis (no children) Feb 19, 1861 Augusta County, VA

Born. 1830? Philadelphia, PA

Died February 1880 Augusta County, VA?

M2- Married Anna Sidney Shewey April 5, 1881 (2 sons) Augusta County, VA

Born March 1862 Augusta County, VA

Died August 15, 1935 Houston, TX

2a3b. Elizabeth Agnes

Born June 30, 1830 Augusta County, VA

Died ? ?

Married Samuel McClung on September 14, 1854 Rockbridge Cty, VA

2a3c. William James

Born October 23, 1832 Augusta County, VA

Died 1903? ? Ohio

Married Sidenia Elizabeth Shanks on October 22, 1858

2a3d. Clinton Hall

Born October 5, 1834 Augusta County, VA

Died January 11, 1835 Augusta County, VA

2a3e. Robert Scott

Born March 26, 1836 Augusta County, VA

Died May 22, 1837 Augusta County, VA

2a3f. Benjamin Franklin

Born January 14, 1838 Augusta County, VA

Died November 9, 1862 Augusta County, VA

Married Harriet Boone

2a3g. Nancy Jane Hall

Born May 27, 1840 Augusta County, VA

Died March 6, 1912 Erath County, TX

Married George Snapp on May 6, 1858 in Rockbridge Cnty. VA.

2a3h. Margaret Ann

Born September 7, 1843 Augusta County, VA

Died January 20, 1913 Erath County, TX

Married Silas Baber on January 24, 1883 in Rockbridge Cnty, VA

2a3i Edward Newton

Born January 1, 1846 Augusta County, VA

Died June 18, 1865 Augusta County, VA

2a3j Mary Rebecca

Born March 24, 1848 Augusta County, VA

Died June 14, 1850 Augusta County, VA

2a3k. Robert Samuel

Born November 11, 1851 Augusta City, VA

Died August 21, 1936 Sweetwater, TX

M1- Married Rebecca Valentine

M2-Married Laura Elder

M3-Married Emma Scoggins

2a3a. JOHN JOSEPH

John Joseph's Children:

2a3 a1. John Franklin

Born March 12, 1882 Rockbridge County, VA

Died May 30, 1948 Houston, TX

Married Ida Celeste Olson 1905 in Galveston, Texas

Born November 19, 1885 Galveston, TX

Died December 3, 1933 Houston, TX

2a3a2. Glenwood Griffin

Born September 11, 1884 Stephenville, TX

Died December 16, 1917 Houston, TX

Married Della Dowdy One son (Roy)

2a3a1. JOHN FRANKLIN

John Franklin's Children:

2a3a1a Glenwood Franklin

Born January 25, 1907 Galveston, TX

Died August 19, 2001 Houston, TX

M1. Married Eva Perez in Houston, TX April 1, 1934

Born June 5, 1910 Monterrey, Mexico

Died August 19, 1949 Houston, Texas

Four children of this marriage

M2. Married Louise Rawls (nee Wier)

There were no children of this marriage.

Two daughters from her previous marriage.

2a3a1b Alfred Sidney

Born October 21, 1908 Galveston, TX

Died February 7, 2001 Corpus Christi, TX

Married Mary Frances Landrigan Feb 23, 1935

Children: Alfred Sidney b. Sept 27, 1940 Mary Ida b. April 3, 1942

John Franklin b. Dec. 13, 1948

2a3a1. GLENWOOD FRANKLIN, Sr.

Glenwood Franklin’s Children:

2a3a1a. Glenwood Franklin, Jr.

Born June 28, 1935 Houston, TX

2002: Resides in Southampton, Ontario

M1. Married Nancy Diane Nott July 30, 1960 Pt. Arthur, TX

Born February 21, 1941 Pt. Arthur, TX

2003 resides in Florida

Two sons born of this marriage

M2. Married Cheryl Anne MacDonald October 21, 1978

London, ON

Born April 6, 1951 Sydney, Nova Scotia

One son born of this marriage

2a3a1b. Olga Celeste

Born March 14, 1942 El Paso, TX

December 2005: Resides in Houston, TX

Married Edward Thompson

Three children of this marriage

2a3a1c. Naomi Yvonne

Born July 16, 1944 El Paso, TX

December 2005: Resides in Houston, TX

M1-Married Carl Olsen

M2-Married Robert Tarant

No children

2a3a1d. Mary Louise

Born March 18, 1946 El Paso, TX

Died October 21, 1989 San Francisco, CA

No children

2a3 a 1 a. GLENWOOD FRANKLIN, Jr

Glenwood Franklin Jr.'s Children:

2a3a1a1 Craig Franklin

Born December 8, 1963 Houston, TX

2005: Resides in Bellville, ON.

Married Laurie Lynn Mooney in London, ON on October 21, 1988

Laurie born 1965 Owen Sound, ON

Craig Franklin's Children:

2a3a1a1a Adam Malloy Born December 23, 1993

2a3a1a1b Isaac Glenwood Born October 22, 1997

2a3a1a2 David William

Born December 22, 1967 Toronto, ON

2005: Resides in Calgary, Alberta

Married Jennifer Lynn Hough in London, ON

on June 13, 1992

Jennifer born February 7, 1970 Sarnia, ON

David William’s Children:

2a3a1a2a Emma Waverley Born May 10, 1997

2a3a1a2b Seth Alexander Born July 11, 1999